Do you think you can be a socialist and

[Swedes]

1. Pay for your child to be independently educated?
2. Buy a house in right catchment for the right school?
3. Feign religion to get your child into a faith school?
4. Object to a lottery system for school places with urban areas (ignoring all convenient environmental issues)?
5. Vote Tory? (because some people seem particularly confused)

And no child tax credits as well. But if you can be significantly above then it's not too bad but I still think tax is too high. Once you've paid your dues, say paid £50k a year in tax, you should get an invitation to No., 10 a certificate of thanks from the PM and some kind of hero of the people award and told go off for the rest of this year and you don't pay any tax on your income once you've paid that sum or some system like that to make the extra hours worked worth it rather than no matter how much you earn unless you can make it into capital they will steal the 41% from you.

Erm Xenia, you seem to have forgotten about inheritance tax. Turning it into capital doesn't help in the longer term ...

Amen to a tax holiday once you've paid say £50k in tax.

Will you run for Prime Minister Xenia?

Quattro - If you turn it into capital you can spend it or give it away as a potentially exempt transfer.

I am giving up Mumsnet for Lent - sorry to dip out of the thread but will look in again on Easter Sunday or shortly thereafter. My typing might be like cod's because I'll no oubt have the cold turkey shakes.

Do you know you can actually start pension funds for newborns? Seems like a goodish way to keep it away from ye taxman as long as they don't treat it like a gift to your child...

Capital gains tax is a voluntary tax on middle classes who are too stupid to tax plan. I very much doubt I will pay any and I doubt we'll pay any on my parents' estates.